Single of the Week: Dinosaur Jr. - "Several Got Away"

 

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Riki Rachtman Discusses The Lasting Impact of Headbagers Ball

Check out this clip from our interview with Riki Rachtman! We asked whether he thought that Headbangers Ball changed the culture of the 80s or captured the culture of the 80s.

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/BPjSJxp5u4Y?si=tSEOixyk-XvV_GQ9

 

Rock of Aging: The Riki Rachtman Interview// Headbangers Ball, One Foot in the Gutter, The Cathouse

In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika speak to Riki Rachtman, the legendary host from MTV's Headbangers Ball. Everyone watching this episode grew up watching Riki every Saturday night -- he introduced us to the bands, the videos, and the scenes throughout the world of heavy metal. 

But Riki is much more than the host of a great TV show that we grew up watching. He has opened and ran the legendary Hollywood nightclub, The Cathouse, worked in radio, NASCAR, podcasting, and is currently on tour with a spoken word show called, "One Foot in the Gutter." The multimedia show finds Riki recounting stories from his lengthy career and exciting life.

The 80s Vinyl Tag 2026 // 20 Questions About 80s Music

Here's my contribution to Crackin' Vinyl's (‪@CrackinVinyl‬) 20 question 80s Music Vinyl Tag.

Single of the Week: Julia Jacklin "Get Away From Me (I Think I'll Love You Soon)"

 

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Rock of Aging: Merch Madness – The Glory Days of 80s Metal Concert Merch

Before online stores, limited-edition drops, and social media ads, there was one place to get the coolest band merchandise: the merch table at the concert.

In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika take a nostalgic trip back to the golden age of 80s metal merch. From overpriced concert t-shirts and tour programs to posters, buttons, patches, bandanas, and everything in between, we remember what it was like to stand in line before the show and decide how much of our allowance (or paycheck) we were willing to sacrifice for a piece of rock and roll history.

We'll discuss:

The first concert shirts we ever bought

Why concert merch felt so special in the 1980s

The must-have items beyond t-shirts

Tour books, posters, patches, buttons, and other forgotten collectibles

The bands that had the best merch

Regrets over the merch we didn't buy

Vintage merch prices then vs. what collectors pay today

The legendary parking lot bootleg shirt sellers

Why wearing a concert shirt was a badge of honor

We'll also share some of our favorite merch memories and talk about the items we wish we had never thrown away.

Whether you spent your weekends at arena shows, haunted record stores looking for band posters, or still have a drawer full of faded concert tees, this episode is a celebration of one of the most fun parts of being an 80s metal fan.

Rock of Aging Appears On The Youth Gone Mild Podcast

Dave and Erika recently appeared on the Youth Gone Mild Podcast. We spoke with Gen X Joe about the state of 80s metal, Sebastian Bach joining Twisted Sister, which 80s bands still "bring it" live, and so much more. Thanks, Joe, for having us.

Find Youth Gone Mild: https://www.instagram.com/youthgonemildpc

90s Artists We Hated That We Love Now (And Vice Versa) || Against The 90s : A 90s Music Podcast

We all have musical opinions that don't age very well.

In this episode of Against The 90s, Dave and MarQ revisit some of the artists they couldn't stand during the 1990s—but somehow ended up appreciating years later. Was it changing tastes? Maturity? Or did these artists deserve more credit than we gave them at the time?

But it goes both ways.

Each of us also reveals one artist we absolutely loved back in the '90s that just doesn't connect with us anymore. Some favorites don't survive the test of time, and we're not afraid to admit it.

Join us as we talk about changing perspectives, musical redemption, and the artists that prove our younger selves didn't always get it right.

What artists have you changed your mind about?

I Finally Crossed Joe Jackson Off My Bucket List! My Review + My (Incomplete) Collection (VIDEO)

This week, I crossed one off the ol' bucket list!  For years, seeing Joe Jackson live was one of those concerts I hoped would happen someday. After decades of listening to albums like Look Sharp!, I'm the Man, Night and Day, and so many others, I finally got the chance to see Joe Jackson in concert.

This was Jackson's first ever performance in Omaha. In this video, I share my thoughts on the show, the setlist, the atmosphere, and whether the experience lived up to all those years of anticipation. Did Joe Jackson still deliver? Was it worth the wait?

If you're a longtime Joe Jackson fan—or just curious about what his concerts are like today—join me as I look back on a truly memorable night.

My Interview with Jason Narducy (Bob Mould, Superchunk, Split Single, Sunny Day Real Estate)

This episode features my interview with musician Jason Narducy. He is probably best known as a member of Bob Mould's band, as well as for playing with Superchunk, Sunny Day Real Estate, and his own bands, Verbow and Split Single. He also has a project with actor, Michael Shannon, where they cover the music of R.E.M. 

Jason recently conducted a solo, "living room" tour where he performs intimate shows inside of fan's homes. In advance of his appearance in Omaha, I spoke to Jason for a piece on my radio show, New Day Rising. After the piece aired and I caught Jason's show (which was awesome, btw), I realized that  I had about 20 minutes or so of interview that was left on the cutting room floor. And here we are...

Here is the full interview I conducted with Jason along with some clips and photos from his solo show, and from recent appearances with Bob Mould and Superchunk. Hope you dig it.

Rock of Aging: The Lost Art of Making the Perfect 80s Metal Mixtape (VIDEO)

In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika reminisce about the lost art of making the perfect mixtape. Nobody who wasn't alive back in the 80s can relate. 

Whether you're recording your favorite songs from the radio for repeated playback, making a soundtrack for a road trip, trying to "turn on" a friend to some cool music, or trying to get the attention of a girl in your homeroom class, there are some basic rules you need to follow if you want to make a good mixtape. 

What's a good first song? Do the songs flow into one another smoothly or abruptly? How do you end Side A or begin Side B? What's a good closer? We offer up our best suggestions for making the ultimate 80s metal mixtape.

Dave & Erika then battle it out for the title of mixtape champion! We each created a 60 minute, 80s metal mixtape for you to review and compare. Then you must vote on who made the better tape!

Two Days of Rock in the Twin Cities! LIVE MUSIC: Weird Nightmare/Snowmen/Glom/Agnes Uncaged (VIDEO)

I just got back from a long planned trip to the twin cities: Minneapolis & St. Paul. It was two days of rock shows, record shopping, and general mayhem in Minnesota. I hit the Turf Club both nights, and loved all the bands I saw. 

Caught Weird Nightmare the first night. Fantastic band, fantastic show. The opener was also great. It was a new-er band from the cities called Agnes Uncaged. I bought their record, and have been listening to it a lot. Find out more: https://www.agnesuncaged.com/  

The second night I was finally able to see SNOWMEN. Been waiting for this one for a long time. This was the NYC band's first national tour, and St. Paul was only the second night! The band was fantastic, the crowd seemed to love it, and the guys were nice as hell when we finally met up. Snowmen were on tour with another NYC band called GLOM (https://glom.world/).   

The debut album from Snowmen, A Kick to the Face, is now available on vinyl. More information here: https://www.snowmenband.com/

In between the shows, I was able to hit the legendary CC Club in Minneapolis, and a few record shops, as well.

WEIRD NIGHTMARE at Turf Club in St. Paul, MN 5/27/26

 

Alex Edkins of Weird Nightmare

Weird Nightmare at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN 5/27/26

AGNES UNCAGED Live at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN 5/27/26 (PHOTOS/VIDEO)

Caught a brand new (to me) band last night at Turf Club in St. Paul. Agnes Uncaged opened for Weird Nightmare, and was absolutely amazing. I bought a copy of their newest LP, Cyanotype, and can't wait to throw it on the turntable. It was produced by John Agnello (Sonic Youth), so it will sound great, I'm sure. Trying to get the band to Omaha.

Agnes Uncaged at Turf Club, St. Paul, MN 5/27/26

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Julia Eubanks of Agnes Uncaged

I love it when a band you have never heard of is so impressive that I have to run (not walk) to the merch table to buy an album.

Viewer Picks: Lost 80s Hard Rock & Metal Albums: These Albums Should’ve Been Huge! Rock of Aging

In this episode of Rock of Aging, Dave and Erika revisit our most popular video - The Lost 80s Hard Rock and Metal Albums episode. Everyone seems to love to talk about that great album that no one else knows about; or that one album by your favorite band that everyone ignored, but you loved it. All music fans can relate.

At the end of that video, Erika asked the audience for their recommendations on other "lost" 80s hard rock albums that we should check out. We received hundreds of suggestions, and decided to do a video where we review YOUR top three picks. Which ones did you really think we needed to know about?

The three most suggested were: Shotgun Messiah "Shotgun Messiah" The Four Horsemen "Nobody Said It Was Easy" and Mindfunk "Mindfunk." We dove in!

For Dave's (Not So) Deep Dive, he offers a quick review of the brand new theatrical film about Iron Maiden, Burning Ambition. In Erika's Atmosphere Check, she returns to her record store days where the clerks had all the inside information about new music. Before the internet, before streaming, where else did you discover new music that wasn't on the radio or MTV? At the record store. In this instance, you get to be the cool person behind the counter making the suggestions about what to play or what to buy.